The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-02-25
situation Int Europe.

A SPECIAL to the New York Star
says: The steady decline OF funds upon
the Paris Exchange, and the persistence
OF the daily runners of coming war have
cast a gloom over neaT.y 81 circles IN
middle Europe. Until the beginning OF
last week statesmen, prominent mtr-
chants and journalists constantly assert
ed that no war between Francelsnd Ger
many could take place this year because
the Germans have q vital interest In the
maintenance of peace. and because the
present French Ministry, even with
General Boulanger rs one of its mem
bers, would not Care undertake the re-
sponsibility OF q declaration OF hoStill-
ties These assertions are now made
with less confidence, aud fewer people
are willing to make them At all. The
statement of a prominent diplomat last
week, that the mutual mistrust engen-
deIed by these rumoTs is enough in itself
to precipitate a conflict, is profoundly
true.
Certainly the imperial party in Ger
many has not hesitated to adopt mea-
sures that are likely to be considered
highly provoking by the French. The
calling out o: the reserves, ostensibly
for their drill In the use o. the new rifle
that is shortly to be in the hands of the
whole army, would have sufficsd twenty
years ago to have thrown France into a
fever of agitation and to have betrayed
the country into imprudent and warllke
demonstrations. Today the watchwOrd
Of the republic Is prudence; yet the
nation is indisposed To abase itself III
presence OF the enemy. and "a Ministry
winch should neglect proper mllItaIy
precautions on the ground that they
might give offenss to the eSer-vigIlanG
German would risk its existencr.
Many people pretend that the present
attitude of Germany is the surest proof
that some sort of an alliance exists be-
tween the Russian and the German en-
pires, and that Germany raising the
dangerous question or possible cOGtiicL
between the imperial confederation and
the French, means to so dishearten and
discourage the French republic that it
will not risk any attempts at alliance
with Russia, that it will not seize the
moment when Russia is moving forward
to the accomplishment of her destiny in
the East to make an onslaught for ven
geance upon the peoples beyond the
Rhine.
Each pot delights in callir g each ket-
tie black, ana lueTe mas never Uoti., S.nce
1866, so much mutual recr'm miba Ion as
now. Bismarck's HudacIIY and /. ank-
ness almost took away the bTe, tn OF
mildeT hammered politicians, and for u
time Il was impossible even to criticise
him but now he is freely accused of
having meLaced France. Generai BCu-
LANCER. about whom the Germans talk
little, Is really a thorn IN theII sides.
They see IN the reorganization of the
French military system the imminent
danger which they have so long tried to
by arm aH
Whether or not BismaIck's menaces
and tremendous increase Of army equip
ment have alarmed the French, the op-
position which the Chancellor encOun-.
teTs at home from the Socialists, the
Liberals aud the intriguing Catholics. Is
AL encouraging force A A'mOst every
liberal Freuchman is convinced that the
time will come when the German empire
will disappear IN the midst OF q TevOlu-
ton, and he fanciP5 th-t he now sees
thai revolution Iapidly approaching.
The French press S, udies and re ports
minutely every act of the present Ger
man political struggle The tendencies
of each political party in Germany arr
noted and regis, cred, and wherever an
orator espOuses the cause OF PaTli ment
/ asaidst the imperial party, he is set
/ down &s doing good work for France. in
Z spite Ol UlS eflu6UI unWlilhRut5S 10 10
| anything of the sort.
/ Nothing is perhaps more surprising in
| tho series OF political ph henOmena pre-
sented to the gaze of Europe just now
! than the sudden effaceInent of the east
/ ern question and the manner ir which it
is replaced by the French German ques-
/ ton. Both the French Snd the Ger
/ mans continue to abuse The English
press, which has done much to create
/ the alarm now spread over half the Con-
/ tinent. The English, say these critics,
are prepared to profit by a continental
conflict they want TO act without fear
of interference in Egypt thew wish to
/ be able to reopen the markets now closed
/ to them, while their clever competitors
are wasting their resources and their
/ lives IT. battle and they want a diver
sion from the unpleasant condition of
| affairs at home. They see proofs OF
! EDglsBd's determination to do all she
/ can to further a conflict in the indiffeT-
ence Of the English press to the propo-
sition for 8 new conference at Constsn-
tinople.